NEW ZEALAND SUSPENDS BUDGET FUNDING TO COOKS ISLANDS- Luxon says Cooks Islands’ government wasn’t open or transparent
New Zealand has stated today that it has suspended millions of dollars in budget funding to the Cook Islands, amid the island group’s deepening ties with China.
News of the freeze comes as New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is in China and ahead of a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang on Friday (June 20).
In February, Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown visited China and signed a strategic partnership that spans areas from deep-sea mining to education scholarships, but excludes security ties.
New Zealand says the Cook Islands did not properly consult on the documents ahead of the signing, thereby breaching the arrangement between the two countries.
